Party Girl by Lynne Ewing

Kata and Ana are two girls have lived practically their whole life as gang members, and really see no way out. The two best friends dance together, fight together, they can't even say one name without the other. But when Ana is shot in a drive-by, Kata must learn to live without her best friend.

I had expected this book to be larger, but when I saw it at the library, I was amazed at how small it was. I really enjoyed the gentle elements of the story as well as the action. From Kata's decision to escape from "the life" to her painful attempt at recovering from Ana's death, it was all very in touch.

I really loved how in the end, everything to remind Kata of her past (the tattoo, the boyfriend, the drunk mother, etc.) is slowly but surely disappearing. It shows that though things aren't fairytale, we can still make the best of what we have.

Party Girl also painted a very realistic portrait of gang life and to what extreme measures people go to get out.  Also, how these "tough" members all have dormant weaknesses.

However, I really felt as if the title didn't fit into any of the story. Kata and Ana did not really "party", and the story was about Ana's death and Kata's journey out of the gang.

Also, the touch to the story, what made it so gripping, sometimes disappeared in the thick of things. Even though there was a lot of beautiful wording and memorable quotes, sometimes the gist of the story got lost in all the gang-talk. Some parts were irrelevant and unnecessary. I was distracted a little bit because it was one installment, not a book with chapters.

Overall, it was a nice, enjoyable read with enough action and agony to keep me turning the page when I should have been doing my homework.